Obama Says Threats Won’t End With Afghan Withdrawal

Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama told a crowd
of Marines and their families that the war in Afghanistan
remains a “hard fight” and that threats to the U.S. will
continue after American combat forces have left the country.

“The end of the war in Afghanistan doesn’t mean the end to
the threats to our nation,” Obama said today at the Camp
Pendleton U.S. Marine Corps base, about 80 miles (129
kilometers) south of Los Angeles. “And we have to take these
threats seriously.”

The U.S. this week temporarily closed embassies and other
diplomatic outposts in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
due to the threat of attack from a Yemen-based branch of al-Qaeda.

Obama spoke to about 3,000 military personnel and families
at his final stop on a two-day trip to western states.

He address also touched on the budget battles in
Washington, sexual assaults in the military and the need to
expand education.

Obama said Congress must replace the automatic, across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration that has reduced
projected government spending by $85 billion this year and will
total $109 billion in 2014. The cuts are already having an
impact on the military, he said.

“We can do better than that,” Obama said. “That’s not
how a great nation should be treating its military and our
military families.”

Before speaking, Obama met privately with wounded service
members and families of military personnel who’ve died in
service. “They have given a piece of their heart to America and
America will always honor their sacrifice,” he said.